12.6.11

{Edisto Island, SC)

We just returned from a wonderful and very relaxing vacation in Edisto Island, SC.

I spent the week taking lots of photographs, drinking wine, spending time with the one I love and just plain relaxing:)

You know what else I thought a lot about while on vacation.....I thought about how dreamy it would be to live on the ocean. The last night we were there .... I all but threw a fit about having to come home....to boring old Indiana.

But you know what.....when we got home....as we were unloaded everything.....and I was crying about being back home....our best friends....unexpectedly stopped over and we had the best evening..having a fire outside, relaxing and enjoying a perfect mid-western evening.At that same time....my other best friend gave me a ring to tell me just how much she missed me while were gone.

You know what....that made me stop dead in my tracks and realize just what I have here in "boring old Indiana."

I have a beautiful home....friends that love me....a husband that tries his very best to make me happy {not easy in the wintertime} and a pretty darn good life....right here in Indiana:):)

Sometimes in life....you need to truly, deeply appreciate just what you have! And I am going to spend even more time appreciating the life that I am carving out for myself....here in "Indiana."

Anywho...just wanted to share that with you!Be thankful for all that you have...no matter what your situation!

Ok....onto a tiny snippet of our vacation!

Yes...we are camping style people. {Sometimes we are resort kind of people....but not often} For me...I love nature and camping is the perfect way to get even closer to nature. Plus....like my husband always says....I am a dirt rustler. Yes...that's we he calls me:) I am always a mess....dirty from whatever...gardening, making jewelry, biking....just about every I do involves being messy.{thank you to our wonderful and beautiful friends that let us borrow their camper}

I don't mind not sleeping in a 5 star resort or enjoying my wine while laying a hammock! To me ... it's perfect!

Plus...I think camping is the way to go....when you're less than rich:):)And being a teacher....well....you get the idea!

I spent a lot of time just tinkering on the beach and riding my beach crusiser around!

It was nice to spend so much time on my grandpa's old bike!! {thanks Mike for the redo!}

And of course I took at least a million photos of anything and everything that made me happy....like this sweet little truck! I dream of owning a truck just like this one day!

It's not fancy things that make my heart sing.......

That's why ...not only do I love the laid back ocean style of life.....but just as equally....I love the cottage style of life!Simple and sweet. Nothing too fancy and everything...perfectly not perfect:)

Are you a fancy kind of girl or more of a cottage kind of girl!?!?!?!

Of course we spent lots of time shelling on the beach!Can't wait to do lots of little projects with all the shells ...I ...I mean we....collected:)

I love that my husband will collect shells on the beach with me...even though he thinks i'm slightly crazy for wanting them:)

And I got to spend a lot of time just soaking in nature! My favorite. You can learn so much just by watching nature.

Nature just goes about it's business....never knowing what the day will bring.Life is pretty simple for creatures in nature........eat, drink, make babies and spend your days soaking up the scenery!

And you know what else I thought about....I saw cardinals in Edisto and we have cardinals in Indiana.I wonder if the cardinals in Indiana dream of moving to SC or vice versa.Or are they just happy right where they're at!

Who knows...but one thing I know for sure.....is happiness is always what you make it.Change the things you can .....accept the things you can't.....and try to find beauty in each and every day.Never stop opening your mind to beauty of the world around you.

Well....that's it for now! I know I've really missed checking in with you and will be doing so after I get caught up on all my jewelry orders that came in while I was away!!!

Have a really beautiful Sunday!

Today.....I think we may stay in vacation mode and head up to Lake Michigan to soak in even more beachy views!

32 comments:

dearest Heather..such a beautiful post..agree wholeheartedly..appreciate what you have in the here and now..you are exactly where you are supposed to be in God's grand scheme of things..love all the pics..thanks ever so for sharing!!warmest sandy hugs..Loui♥

I'm glad you had such a good time and that you have learned to be happy where you are just as much as where you could be. I love the shadow photo of you and your husband! And I'm a cottage girl all the way!

I know that feeling of just wanting to stay forever in that beachy lifestyle..but there is something about home that once you get there you know you are in the right place. =) Your post made me smile and dream of another ocean vacation...Love all your pictures! Welcome home~

Heather, So glad you had such a wonderful time. Don't you just love the campground? How did you do finding shells? Being away, no matter where you are, always feels good. but ALWAYS feels better to be home!

I enjoyed each and every photo...and all of the wise things you've written today! I LOVE to be at the beach but I enjoy myself wherever I am! Hope you'll post more pics, would love to see what shells you found! I posted several 'beachy' posts while you were gone! And yes...we love to camp, too! A great way to enjoy nature! ♥ Welcome home!♥

I love your thoughts on life Heather - every post is like a renewing "a-ha", it is always fabulous!!!!! I think that as long as you have those moments you are always growing and life is always getting better, at least that is what I am hopeful of. I am always having "a-ha's" and epiphany's (not sure if that is spelled right) and they always feel pretty darn good!

I am totally a cottage type gal : ) Every so often it is nice to be spoiled but in the end, I have got to be comfortable and feel like I can put my feet up!

I missed you - glad to see you had such a nice vacation. I love camping. It is the best way to really get away from it all. I love the photo of you riding your bike on the beach - perfect!When does school end for you? Do you have the summer off?My best- Diane

Hello my friend, glad you had a good time. What an awesome post once again. I want to live on the beach too, and I'm crying the entire time I'm not there:) With us moving around so much I don't have my own home yet, so it is harder for me to appreciate where I am. We are moving to Germany this summer, so I won't the ocean for a while. But I will get to see my family. Have a great week.

Hi Heather. I completely understand. I am from Kentucky and went on vacation 13yrs ago to Hilton Head Island, SC. I was thinking the same thing when I was there, I could live here. And guess what I did. I met my husband the last day of my vacation that year. I moved four months later. While I don't regret it for one second, we are happily married going on 11 years, it is awfully isolating. We have no family near by, both moving away from friends and family. Our family lives all over the country, my husband is from Pennsylvania, so we often feel alone.

My point is, leaving all of your friends and family is a really tough thing to do even for the beach lifestyle.

I am so happy that you had a great time Heather. Even though we are far from the ocean, the lake does have its advantages too. Just wish we had cool sea shells to collect. :)I am a cottage girl all the way. :)

ps - thank you for your sweet comments about our Rodman, Shepherds are such amazing companions as you well know. :)

I am still trying to catch up too after my little trip. Yours looked absolutely wonderful. I like the sand between my toes but I could do a resort too if I won it! Love you beach cruiser. You guys look so happy and relaxed! And great advice about being happy with what you have. It took me much too long to realize this. And I'm much happier because of it.

This is a wonderful post!!! Oh how it makes me miss my lil 'Pearl' beach cottage on wheels and going to the coast. This is the year we don't get to go as often as we normally do because Hubby lost his job last year. He just began his new job in May and is working really odd hours...so no beach living for us:( But I am truly thankful for all that we do have. I know we will be able to go again, often, in the years to come. I also love love love seeing your beach cruiser! I have been wanting a new one in that mint green color and just this weekend found one for a great price. It's an Electra in mint. My problem...it comes in bubble gum pink too which I loved. Then I went online and found it comes in white. Oh my I can't decide which color now. The mint is more of a seafoam and seems like what I should go with...and seeing yours made me say YES that is the one. So glad you had such a wonderful time camping on the beach...I much prefer camping over resort holidays anyday. I *heart* nature too. I am busy in my studio too about to open my Etsy. Sea kisses to you. ox

Hi Heather!I am still enjoying my necklace of the coordinates of Poulsbo. Thank you so much! Hopefully, you saw the post I did on my blog, Bluebirds and Butterflies after I received it. Also, wanted to say to you....thank you! Thank you for reminding me of a special saying.... the little poem you posted about dreams was taught to my younger son, Elliott, when he was in early elementary school. I loved it so much that I painted this saying at the top of my foyer wall of our old home in Florida when we lived there. He learned it slightly different...but same poem..."Hold fast to your dreams for if they die, life is a brokened wing bird that cannot fly." I had forgotten all about this until I saw your blog posting. Thanks!!! xoxo Kim

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